It never ceases to amaze when manufacturers try to convince people that an issue with something they purchased is actually a “feature”. Apple has most recently tried to convince buyers of the iPhone 5 that the purple haze or ring around bright light sources is normal behavior.

An iPhone 5 owner named Matt Van Gastel had been speaking with Apple customer support about the purple flare problem with his iPhone 5. Gizmodo shows images highlighting the difference between photographs taken in the same setting using iPhone 5 compared to the iPhone 4. The purple haze around the sun is readily apparent in the iPhone 5 image, and the same purple discoloration shows up with any bright light source.

After going back and forth with Apple support, Van Gastel received an email back from Apple stating that their engineering team has found a solution to the problem. According to Apple, the solution is to "angle the camera away from the bright light source when taking pictures."

The email also went on to say that the purple flare noted in images provided to customer service is "normal behavior for the iPhone 5s camera."

Gizmodo reports that some photography experts believe that the purple flare problem is caused by the sapphire glass that covers the iPhone 5 camera sensor.

A company is a collection of people trying to make something so they can feed their children, send them to school, and put a roof over their head. Their investors, employees, customers, community, neighbors, city, and fans all rely on them performing well. To turn the word "company" or "corporation" into an inanimate object that you can use as a scapegoat for your problems is a useful tool for hate, but is not an accurate portrayal of what a company does for society.

quote: As an aside: How much of Apple's humongous cash reserves are going as bonuses to their employees?

Why does that even matter? If you're looking for a way Apple benefits society, then it doesn't matter where that money gets shuffled.

If it's paid out as bonuses, that's good for the employees.

If it's invested in capital expenditures, that's good for suppliers and their suppliers, etc.

If it's held as cash or cash-equivalents, the money is indirectly financing other companies loans and private credit via the banking system.

And if it does that or pays dividends, a huge majority of pension plans and private investment accounts probably hold decent stakes in Apple shares, even before this past weeks inclusion in the S&P500.

So lets keep it on their specific issues, and not veer off in to anti-corporate rhetoric thats out of touch with the real world. The fact is, Apple's expanded the economy (whether you like it or not, I know some Marxists in particular dont count any consumer luxury goods for whatever reason) by exploding markets that were either tiny or non-existant before they came along and added their secret sauce.

Anyway, Apple fans shouldn't get their feathers so ruffled, and neither should people get all furious at "the man" in the c-suite. Don't like how Apple handles its products? Then do what I do -- don't buy it.